Chapter 2
He shouldn't be here.
Ga Eul stared at the orange Lotus as it stood before her in front of her gate, the owner leaning against the side with his hands stuffed into his pockets and a gentle smile gracing his features. She had been expecting Ji Hoo and his bike…not the orange vehicle that never failed to make her heart rate speed up.
"What are you doing here?" She asked him, not even bothering to greet him politely. He gave her a charming smile and opened the passenger door for her.
"Ji Hoo couldn't make it so he sent me," he told her.
"He should've told me then," she responded, fishing into her purse to pull out her phone. When she saw him make a move towards her, Ga Eul stepped away from him.
"Please don't," she said to him, halting him in his tracks as she dialed Ji Hoo's number.
"Ga Eul?" Ji Hoo's voice came through the line after she greeted him.
"Sunbae, are you alright? I've been waiting fo-."
"Don't worry about me, Ga Eul. Something's come up and my grandfather needs me to help him out a bit. I sent Yi Jeong in my stead because Woo Bin's not picking up," Ji Hoo explained. She heard commotion on the other end and the former South Korean President's voice could be heard calling for his grandson.
"I'm sorry, Ga Eul. I know Yi Jeong isn't who you expected or wanted but I trust he'll take care of you."
"No, no, I understand. It's okay, sunbae. Let me know if you need any help, okay? And please don't exhaust yourself like last time," she said to him, concern clear in her voice as she spoke to him. The last time Ji Hoo had thrown himself into work, he'd come over to the porridge shop to meet Jan Di and had promptly crumpled to the ground. She'd helped him back to her place because she had no idea where he lived and nursed him back to health. He'd scared the living daylights out of her and she didn't want a repeat when no one was around to take care of him.
"Neh. You take care of yourself and let me know if Yi Jeong gives you a hard time, okay?" He asked her. At this, she looked over to Yi Jeong and found him busy with his phone, missing the clenched jaw and the tight grip he had on the device.
"I will," she replied. After bidding him a goodbye, she put her phone away and turned to face Yi Jeong.
"Sunbae said explained everything to me so…shall we go?" She asked.
"I always thought that title was reserved for me," he said to her and Ga Eul cursed herself for her resolve faltering when he flashed her that smile that got her heart doing somersaults.
"It's not reserved for anyone. Just a title of respect," she responded, surprised at how normal her voice sounded despite the commotion inside her chest. Moving past him, she headed to the back of the car and opened the boot, throwing her bags in next to his before she climbed into the passenger seat. Buckling herself in, Ga Eul waited patiently for him to climb in, her fingers digging into her knees. Had her parents not been expecting her later today, she would've gone tomorrow or the day after when Ji Hoo was free. This was just pure bad luck.
Is it?
Ga Eul, no. Don't even try to get excited at the fact you get to spend time with Yi Jeong sunbae as your boyfriend, she chastised herself mentally. She'd already gotten a taste of Yi Jeong as her boyfriend not once, but twice and both times she'd been the one that had to deal with the pain. The driver side door opened and she smelled the familiar scent of the spicy cologne get stronger as he slid into his seat.
"So where are we heading to?" He asked.
"The train station," she replied turning to look at him. Surprise registered on his face and Ga Eul hid her smile at the expression.
"We're taking the KTX to Busan to be with my family. I thought Ji Hoo sunbae told you that," she continued. Judging by the expression on his face, Ji Hoo clearly hadn't conveyed the message.
"Guess I'll have to let someone know to pick up my car," he mused under his breath, and Ga Eul was sure that it wasn't meant for her ears.
The ride to the train station was silent, something Ga Eul was grateful for. Not only did it give her time to think about how she would have to change her plan but also, she kept glancing at him every now and then. It had been so long since she'd been this close to him and she would be lying if she said she didn't miss seeing his face. His hair had grown out a bit in the last year and he'd definitely filled out a bit more. If anything, he'd gotten much more handsome in the time she'd distanced herself from him. Was it even possible for him to get even better looking than he already was?
"This shouldn't be too hard for us," he told her as they walked towards the train. Ga Eul looked at him through the corner of her eyes as the unpleasant memories resurfaced. Clearing her throat, she ran a hand through her hair.
"It's easy for me because I'm used to getting trampled on by you. I just hope you can keep your Casanova charms turned off for the duration of our stay and not let your reputation precede you," she said, climbing into the train and shuffling through the aisle to find their seat. He didn't respond to her but she heard the sigh from behind her.
"Ga Eul," he started.
"I'm going to sleep for a bit," she said, cutting across whatever it was he wanted to say. The memories of their shared moments left a bad taste in her mouth and Ga Eul wasn't in the mood to have a heart to heart with him. He'd clearly shown his disinterest and she wasn't going to offer him the pleasure of hurting her again. She wanted to remain civil with him while they faked a relationship.
Again.
~oOo~
Yi Jeong wasn't an idiot, especially when Chu Ga Eul was concerned. That was probably why he was slightly perturbed with how she wasn't hiding her displeasure to see him in Ji Hoo's stead. While it bothered him that she wanted his best friend more than him, he also knew that he was only here because Ji Hoo couldn't make it.
His phone ringing incessantly brought him out of his sleep and he answered it groggily.
"You want to spend time with Ga Eul as her boyfriend?" Ji Hoo's voice came down the line. The words 'boyfriend' and 'Ga Eul' snapped him right out of his sleepy haze and he sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes.
"What?"
"My grandfather is taking me to Japan in the afternoon for a business deal we have there and I'm supposed to be meeting Ga Eul in two hours. If you think you can take my place, tell me now or I'm calling Woo Bin," Ji Hoo said to him.
"No. I'll go," Yi Jeong responded, immediately jumping out of bed and rushing to the bathroom.
"Don't you dare call Woo Bin," was the final words Yi Jeong said to Ji Hoo.
So here he was, glancing at her as she nodded off to sleep with her head cocked at an odd angle. She'd distanced herself from him ever since their conversation at the lodge and today was the first day in a very long time where they'd exchanged more than just pleasantries and spent more than five minutes with each other. He knew her sudden desire to sleep was an excuse to distract herself; what they were about to do reminded her a lot about their past encounters and she wasn't the only one that was remembering that time.
He'd definitely shot himself in the foot with his earlier joke and attempt at humor. A part of him knew that he was deserving of the treatment she was blessing him with but another part countered with frustration because this was what he detested in women. Their moods and their lack of desire to talk about how they felt. Why did they have to be so complicated?
He heard a soft "thunk!" and looked over to find Ga Eul's head resting against the window. The frustration and annoyance that had built with her behavior evaporated and Yi Jeong shifted closer to her, gently cupping her cheek and bringing her towards himself. The moment she came close to his body heat, she immediately latched onto his arm and Yi Jeong rolled his eyes, cushioning her head against his shoulder. Her hands curled around his arm as she hugged it but her sleep remained undisturbed. The sight was almost cute but he dismissed that thought and focused out the window.
Ga Eul was a kind and compassionate soul that deserved love from someone who was deserving of her. That person just wasn't So Yi Jeong. It couldn't be. He had nothing to offer her in return for her affections; that is if she even had any left. Ji Hoo had insinuated that Yi Jeong had feelings for Ga Eul but that was just absurd. Sure, he wasn't fond of someone else's attention being fixed on her for too long but it was only because he wanted to look out for her. She deserved someone worthy of her. He was just looking out for her.
~oOo~
When she finally came about, Ga Eul found herself leaning against Yi Jeong's shoulder and her hands wrapped around his arm. There were two things she noticed in that instance. One, he looked even better up close; and two, his biceps were pure muscle if the hardness was anything to go by.
"We're going to reach in another twenty minutes or so," he informed her, eyes not straying from the magazine he was reading. Carefully, she peeled her hands away from his arm and sat up straight, stretching her back and neck.
"I'm sorry for sleeping on you," she said, once she'd taken a swig of water to moisten her parched throat.
"Don't be. You were in deep sleep and I didn't want to disturb you either," he responded, closing the magazine and sliding it into his bag before turning to her and giving her a small smile. He was being considerate and for this time, Ga Eul had to appreciate it. She'd spent more time tossing and turning the night before and while she hadn't meant to use him as her pillow, it was a comfortable sleep that refreshed her.
The remaining ride was silent with her choosing to stare out the window. She tried several times to find topics to converse with him but she couldn't bring herself to verbalize them. When the train finally rolled to a stop at their destination, the two made their way down and headed towards the exit.
"Who else is in your family?" He asked her once they were seated in the taxi, their bags stored safely in the trunk.
"Today you'll just meet my parents since I don't have any siblings," she replied. "As for the rest of them, you'll meet my aunts, uncles, and cousins tomorrow."
"Big family?"
"Two aunts and an uncle from my mother's side and one uncle from my father's side," she said to him, trying her best to hide the smile at his sudden discomfort.
"Don't worry, sunbae. I'll try my best to not leave you alone with them. Any time you feel uncomfortable, don't hesitate to make an escape, okay?" Ga Eul asked him. She didn't expect him to play the role perfectly, she hadn't expected it from Ji Hoo either. Her family were an odd bunch and they could become very overwhelming so if he wanted to disappear for a bit, she could definitely understand him. She'd realized that she hadn't been on her best behavior with him and while she wouldn't turn back to her puppy love, she wasn't going to treat him like scum either.
"Ga Eul, don't you think it'll be odd to refer to your boyfriend as sunbae in front of your family?" Yi Jeong asked, this time startling her enough so that she stumbled over her words as she tried to come up with a response.
"You better start practicing calling me 'oppa'," he added with a low snigger.
Oppa? I can't call him that! She thought to herself incredulously. He did have a point though, she couldn't go around calling him 'sunbae' around her family when she'd told her parents that they were in a very loving relationship.
"I won't call you 'sunbae' in front of them. Only when we're conversing alone," Ga Eul said. Her thoughts were buzzing and she was glad he didn't say anything after that.
When they arrived at her family home, Ga Eul's heart lurched when she saw a familiar car parked outside the house. The familiar grey Mercedes had her grabbing onto Yi Jeong's elbow after they'd climbed out of the car.
"My Mom's brother is here," she said to him, motioning towards the car that belonged to her sole maternal uncle. He looked at it then at her before he pulled his elbow free. Going back to the trunk, he thanked the driver for taking their minimal luggage out before paying for their ride.
"Relax," he said to her.
Easier said than done, she thought. Grabbing her own bags, they made their way up the stairs to the porch. Ga Eul's hand was shaking as she lifted it to ring the bell and she began to count in her head as the familiar sound of the bell rung out inside. It was promptly followed by several shouts and footsteps hurrying towards the door. The door flew open and Ga Eul's heart dropped to her stomach when her gaze connected with that of her cousin, Park Hwa Young. The Park Hwa Young, who had graced the covers of several magazines and stood before them dressed in a fashionable grey dress that hugged her figure quite perfectly.
"Ga Eul!" Hwa Young screamed, throwing her arms around her cousin. Ga Eul stood as still as a statue and could only stare blankly at Hwa Young as the girl smiled at her when she pulled back. The smile was bright but it held no warmth whatsoever, rather if surveyed closely, it appeared to be more mocking than anything.
To Yi Jeong, it probably looked like she was very close with her only female cousin but he was so very wrong if he thought that. Hwa Young was and would always be a nightmare for her, especially now that she was a model. The girl was a snake and Ga Eul couldn't even remember how many time she'd had to take a beating for the mistakes Hwa Young had made and had blamed Ga Eul. It always made her sick to the stomach how a girl with such a disgusting personality had ever made it into the modeling world. Not to mention she was quite successful too.
"So where's your so called boyfriend?" Hwa Young asked, the challenging tone evident in her voice. Ga Eul finally blinked out of her stupor and then shoved Hwa Young aside. No way in hell was she getting into this without having met the people she'd come here for.
"Eomma! Appa! I'm home!" She called. No sooner had she yelled, she heard footsteps coming her way and her mother appeared in front of her with her flower printed apron still on while her husband followed. Kang Sun Ja and Chu Jung Ho had a smile plastered onto their faces, eyes lighting up when they fell upon their only daughter.
"Ga Eul!" Her mother exclaimed and Ga Eul smiled brightly as she threw herself into her waiting embrace. She felt a hand on her head and looked up to see her father's adoring smile as he patted her head, giving her shoulder a squeeze.
"Eomma, Appa, I missed you so much!" Ga Eul exclaimed.
"We missed you too. I was just telling your cousin how proud I am of you for handling yourself on your own in Seoul," her mother replied, tapping her head. Ga Eul pulled free from her embrace and turned to face Hwa Young, who rolled her eyes. The girl had the haughty attitude of a model indeed and even though she stood a few feet away from Ga Eul, there was still an air of confidence that radiated from her. It was then that Ga Eul spotted Yi Jeong slowly bringing the luggage she'd dropped at the front door inside the house.
"Eomma, Appa, I want you to meet someone," she said, walking towards Yi Jeong, every step making her heart thump loudly against her chest. This was it, their charade began now.
The ceramist looked up at her as he set his own bag down and realizing that their little act would start now, he flashed her an answering smile and held out his hand to her. His hand was warm and encompassed hers entirely, fingers linking through hers gently. It was oddly comforting to have him hold her hand like so.
"Aigoo, is this the young man that stole my daughter's heart?" Sun Ja gushed as she rushed forward.
"Annyeonghaseyo," Yi Jeong said with a low bow to her parents. "My name is So Yi Jeong."
"Omo, So Yi Jeong as in…," her father trailed off.
"Woo Sung Museum?" Her mother said simultaneously. Ga Eul's stomach dropped as two new faces appeared when her parents spoke. While Sun Ja radiated warmth with a tender smile, her elder brother Seong Jin's face lacked all the warmth that his sister held. His face was sharp and eyes calculating as they fell on Yi Jeong. His wife, Park Mi Yun, also bore no form of tenderness in her demeanor. One could definitely tell that Hwa Young was Mi Yun's daughter with the way the former carried herself, the familiar air of pride and arrogance surrounding her as it did her mother.
Everyone's eyes were glued to Ga Eul and Yi Jeong's clasped hands before they moved up to their faces. She saw delight in her parents' eyes, coldness in her aunt and uncle's eyes, and disbelief in her cousin's. Although the situation might not have called for it, Ga Eul did take pride in the expression on her cousin's face. If only she could take a photo, but no matter, that moment would forever be etched into her brain. At that thought, Ga Eul suppressed a chuckle and looked at her mother.
She wanted to ask her mother why her uncle had even shown up considering he hated coming to their place because of how "small" and "cramped" it was. It wasn't as if he cared about his sister that much. He had his own business to run and he looked down on anyone that wasn't in the business line of work, including his own brother in law.
"Gomo, I don't think Ga Eul has it in her to seduce South Korea's Casanova," Hwa Young said, interrupting her train of thought. Her initial reaction was that of anger but Ga Eul's heart dropped when she saw the delight get wiped clean off her parent's face. Of course Hwa Young must've heard of Yi Jeong with her line of work and his popularity.
"Yah, Sun Ja, didn't you teach your daughter to find a good man for herself?" Seong Jin asked his younger sister, his gaze sharp and cool while his daughter only crossed her arms.
"Hyungnim, it's really not our place to s-."
"Forgive me for interrupting but since it is my reputation at stake, I might as well just speak up. Ga Eul is very special to me and while I don't deny that I am indeed the "Casanova", the media makes me out to be a much more terrible person than I really am," Yi Jeong spoke, sensing the sudden tension in the room and Ga Eul's obvious discomfort. She made a mental note to thank him later when they were alone. Her uncle's gaze only hardened at she knew that the only reason he did not say anything was because Yi Jeong was the heir of the So family.
"Your daughter is in good hands," Yi Jeong said, fixing his attention on her parents and giving them a low bow.
"We'll see," was all Seong Jin said before he grabbed his coat and walked past them towards the main door, leaving it open so his wife and daughter could follow them out. Ga Eul's eyes caught her aunt's briefly and she almost recoiled from the coldness that pierced her. Mi Yun said nothing and continued to follow her husband out, not even answering the polite farewell from Ga Eul's family and Yi Jeong.
"Yi Jeong oppa, I've seen the pictures and I've heard all about you. There's no way you would change for Ga Eul," Hwa Young said as she chuckled and grabbed her coat.
"And Ga Eul, at least bring someone who is more convincing to fit into the role of your boyfriend. I know you're jealous of me but come on, stop leeching off your best friend's popularity," she remarked before the door slammed shut, leaving the poisonous words hanging in the air behind her.
It was silent between the four remaining members but after a few moments, Sun Ja finally broke the silence by clearing her throat and clapping her hands.
"Well, why don't we move into the living room? Yi Jeong-ssi, I hope you don't mind jasmine tea as it's one of our family's favorite and comes from Ga Eul's grandfather's village," Sun Ja said, smiling politely at Yi Jeong who simply shook his head.
"Not at all! I now understand why Ga Eul loves jasmine tea so much," Yi Jeong said. Ga Eul's gaze snapped to his and she narrowed her eyes at his sudden comment. How had he known that she loved jasmine tea? She didn't remember them ever having a conversation about their likes and dislikes.
"Wonderful! Ga Eul, come help me in the kitchen," Sun Ja said, motioning for Ga Eul to follow her. She glanced at Yi Jeong, who gave her an encouraging nod, before their hands detangled and she followed her mother into the kitchen. She heard her father and Yi Jeong move into the living room before her mother took her attention.
"He seems like a nice boy," Sun Ja said as she set the water to boil. Ga Eul swallowed and nodded, remaining quiet and trying her best to focus on her fake relationship. Her Uncle and his family's presence had definitely shaken that confidence in her, especially with Yi Jeong's history and Hwa Young's love for gossip. It would've been much better had it been Ji Hoo but remembering her Uncle's personality, he probably would've ridiculed Ji Hoo's autism.
I really should've chosen Woo Bin sunbae, she thought to herself. At least Prince Song's name would've kept everyone's mouth shut…but her parents would never have approved and that would cause another massive misunderstanding.
Who was she kidding? None of the three F4 members were a good choice to play her fake boyfriend. Scratch that, she shouldn't have lied about this in the first place. Now she'd just have to deal with the consequences.
"Ga Eul, you know I trust you, but if what Hwa Young said is true…," Sun Ja trailed off and Ga Eul immediately shook her head.
"Eomma, you heard what he said. The tabloids always make it worse than it actually is and besides, I know him much better than her knows himself," Ga Eul responded, flinching inwardly at her last words. They were too true for this fake relationship of theirs. She truly did know Yi Jeong better than he knew himself and that was something he didn't need to know.
"I hope so, Ga Eul. I hope so," Sun Ja responded as she fixed the tray with the tea cups. Ga Eul knew she hadn't won her mother's trust in Yi Jeong just yet and she cursed Hwa Young for opening her mouth while Yi Jeong was cursed for not being able to keep it in his pants. As the mother and daughter headed to the living room, Ga Eul wondered if her father had been charmed by Yi Jeong or if he too was hesitant to accept someone like him in his daughter's life.
With the way the two were sitting across from each other and speaking very little, Ga Eul had a feeling that Hwa Young's words had done the trick and had planted that seed of doubt in her parent's head.
"O-Oppa," Ga Eul said, hoping that no one picked up on the way her breath caught at addressing him as so. It was the way he looked at her when she called him that made her weak in the knees and she dropped into a seating position unceremoniously next to him. She could feel her parents' gaze on her and plastered a smile on her face.
"Eomma brought out the hand crafted tea set that she loves so much just for you," Ga Eul said, motioning to the tray her mother had just placed on the table between them.
"Ah, you remembered? It is indeed one of my favorites. It's a gift from Jan Di's boyfriend when he came to visit us with Ga Eul and Jan Di few months ago," Sun Ja said, her eyes glazing over as she happily recalled the moment the Shinhwa heir walked into her home.
Ga Eul saw Yi Jeong bite his lip as if stopping himself from laughing and she threw him a questioning look. He coughed a couple of times and Ga Eul's eyes only narrowed at his actions.
"Gu Jun Pyo is one of my best friends," Yi Jeong said after he'd gathered himself and shock flew across her parents' faces once more.
"Ah but of course, the So family often deals with the Shinhwa group," her father spoke up. As an employee of Shinhwa Corporation and based in Busan, Jung Ho was well aware of the company's partners and their dealings as a part of his job.
"Surely you must know about Il Shin Construction and Su Am Cultural Foundation then?" Yi Jeong asked, earning an enthusiastic nod from her father.
"Song Woo Bin and Yoon Ji Hoo are also two of my best friends. The four of us, we're brothers really," Yi Jeong explained fondly. Once more, Ga Eul saw shock fly across the faces of her parents and she knew that while they weren't ready to welcome Yi Jeong with open arms, they were mighty impressed. Not only was he best friends with the Shinhwa heir but also with the former President's grandson and Prince Song himself.
"The best part is that they've got hearts bigger than their parents," Ga Eul spoke up before she could stop herself. The words had simply come tumbling out so when three pairs of eyes fixed on her, she had no option but to continue the thought that had been vocalized when it wasn't supposed to have been.
"Jun Pyo sunbae would literally buy stars for Jan Di's happiness if it were possible. Ji Hoo sunbae is compassionate and wants nothing more than to see his best friends happy, even if he has to sacrifice his own happiness. Woo Bin sunbae is the protector who'd rather get hurt himself than let an innocent get hurt. And Yi Jeong oppa understands people and their feelings much better than anyone else I've ever met before," Ga Eul spoke, her eyes trailing from the tea cup nestled in her hands to the young man sitting next to her.
She remembered his words of caution when she'd first met him. He hadn't been worried about Jun Pyo, rather Jan Di who, in his eyes, was a strong girl but would break under Madame Kang's harsh treatment when her relationship with Jun Pyo would come to light.
"He cares more about people than he lets on and he denies it every time you say anything to him," she finished, the corner of her lips quirking up when Yi Jeong opened his mouth to retort. He shut it immediately when her parents looked between them and her mother burst into giggles.
"Omo, yeobo, these two remind you of us don't they?" Sun Ja asked between her giggles, placing a hand on her husband's arm. Jung Ho only chuckled as he nodded his head, leaving Ga Eul to turn a nice shade of pink.
"Eomma! Appa!" Ga Eul hissed under her breath. The last thing she wanted was for her parents to start comparing her fake relationship to their own more successful and lovable one. Although she could still see some hesitancy in their eyes, they did appear more relaxed with Yi Jeong's presence.
"Ga Eul, you should take it as a compliment considering they got married and had a child together," Yi Jeong said. A hush fell around them as Ga Eul's head whipped to the side to look at him, eyes wide and emotions evading her. He casually took a sip of his tea and smiled at her mother politely.
"The tea is indeed delicious," was all he said.
Why on earth would he say something like that? What is wrong with this guy? She was screaming inside her head. Somewhere inside her, the feelings she had buried deep within bubbled and firmly scolded herself.
No. It's just an act. He doesn't mean any of it, she reminded herself angrily.
"Ah, yes. Tea," her mother said, glancing at her father from the corner of her eyes. Ga Eul gripped her tea cup tighter and sent a cool glare towards Yi Jeong, who looked completely at home as he drank his tea with a gentle blow to cool the liquid a bit. Her parents were doing it again, the silent conversations through their eyes that never failed to make Ga Eul restless.
"It's good you told us beforehand that you would be bringing him along, we cleared out the spare bedroom," her mother said, standing up and gathering their empty tea cups after they'd finished. The conversation had been light afterwards and she noticed her parents growing comfort with Yi Jeong. Even though her father was trying his level best not to show it, she saw the way his eyes twinkled as Yi Jeong listened to him talk about his job.
They really were called F4 for a reason, easily charming and impressing people with their smoothness. Well except Jun Pyo, he was just boisterous and demanded everyone's attention wherever he went, even without meaning to.
"Abeonim," Yi Jeong spoke up. "Would it be alright if I take Ga Eul out for a walk? She's mentioned this place a few times and I was curious about the neighborhood."
And that was how she knew her parents were impressed. The way they smiled and her father nodded at him with a slight over-enthusiastic "Of course!" was a dead giveaway that whatever words Hwa Young had said earlier had been dispelled from their head. Yi Jeong had managed to eradicate their concerns with his simple display of interest in Ga Eul's family and her well-being.
"There's a nice café a few streets away, the one that sells the best hot chocolate. Ga Eul, you remember that one, don't you?" Her mother asked as she bustled towards the kitchen. "Take Yi Jeong-ssi with you and enjoy your time together, okay?"
"Eomeonim, Abeonim, please don't address me so formally," Yi Jeong said, standing up and giving them a small bow.
"I know it's a bit difficult to deal with your daughter's boyfriend and especially when said boyfriend's image has been ruined by tabloids," he continued standing straight and looking at her parents, "but the last thing I want is to disappoint Ga Eul."
The words sounded sincere, too sincere, which was probably why she was having such a hard time believing him and had suppressed her scoff with difficulty. He was just being too sincere with everything and Ga Eul had to remind herself not to get wrapped up in another fantasy like she had last year. He was one hell of an actor.
"We hope you won't hurt our princess, Yi Jeong-ah," her father said, his voice mimicking the sincerity in Yi Jeong's words.
"Then we'll head out!" Ga Eul snapped, too fed up with the weird atmosphere in the living room. She grabbed Yi Jeong's wrist and pulled him along to the front door, tossing his coat to him before hastily donning her own coat and shoes.
"Come on," she said in a flat tone. The moment he had his shoes on, she pulled him along with him. Down the front path, against the chilly winter wind, she continued to drag him until they were a safe distance away from her parent's home.
"Ga Eul, slow down. What's gotten into you?" He said to her, watching her curiously while she pulled him along. At this, she stopped and whirled around to face him, her eyes fiery and her face set in a mask of anger.
"What are you playing at?" She spat. Yi Jeong blinked, having never faced an enraged Ga Eul before, this was not only something new but also something quite amusing.
"Wasn't it you that lied about the fake boyfriend thing? I'm just here to fulfill the role," he replied, freeing his arm and crossing his arms before his chest. Fixing her with a look that looked a lot accusatory than she'd expected. It only fueled the anger and she stalked closer to him, her finger poking his chest.
"Sunbae, I know what I signed up for. You do not need to be so sincere about everything you say," she growled. "This is fake. All of it. The happiness, the love, the joy, this relationship is all a fake. We've done this before and I know how this works with you but my parents don't."
She was positively seething. Her anger had begun to simmer when her mother had compared Yi Jeong and her to herself and her husband. It felt like a slap in the face and while her mother hadn't meant to mock her, Ga Eul did feel like she'd been insulted by that comparison.
"Ga Eul," he started but she barreled on, cutting across him.
"I'm not expecting anything from this but please, please don't make my parents think we stand a chance. You and I know how this is going to end and I don't want my parents to think that our relationship is anywhere near as perfect as theirs, got it?" She asked him, her eyes boring into his as her lips were pulled back from her teeth in an angry snarl. Her parents had the type of relationship she wished to have with her future partner and the idea of them thinking that Ga Eul and Yi Jeong could have a long-lasting relationship was too much to handle.
It was even more disturbing that her own heart had fluttered when he'd taken her disappointment into consideration. One year clearly wasn't enough to get rid of the affection you held for someone but Ga Eul wouldn't stop trying.
"Aren't you being a bit too harsh, Ga Eul?" He asked, his own smile slipping to be replaced by a much darker look.
"Why shouldn't I be? 'The last thing I want is to disappoint Ga Eul'? 'Take it as a compliment' because my parents got married? Do you have any idea how those words are being perceived by people who have no idea that this relationship is nothing more than an act?" She asked him incredulously, her shoulders slumping while she stepped away and ran a hand across her face.
"I'm doing what I would do if it were any girl, Ga Eul," he said. Whether it was his words or the lack of emotion as he said the words but a chill swept up her spine before curling around her heart.
"No girl has been left unsatisfied whenever she's spent time with me," he said.
I did. She wanted to scream those words at him and preferably land a smack on his face too but her body wasn't cooperating with her. So all she did was stare at him as he continued to speak, his eyes emotionless and darker than usual.
"I'm only playing along with the character of the loving boyfriend that you conjured in your parents' heads," he retorted.
"Don't turn it around to blame me, sunbae," she said to him sharply.
"Last time I checked, I wasn't the one that suggested a fake relationship nor was I the one that told you to lie to them. I also wasn't the one that chose to come here with you. I'm only here because Ji Hoo asked me to be," he finished, brushing past her without so much as a backward glance. Ga Eul watched his retreating back and while she knew his words were true, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing she agreed with him.
She didn't want to do it but she sped up to catch up with him, her hands already dialing Ji Hoo's number.
"Yoboseyo," he answered.
"Ji Hoo sunbae, are you sure you can't show up here?" She asked Ji Hoo as her feet carried her past Yi Jeong who had paused and turned to look at her as if waiting for her to show the way to the café.
"Ga Eul? Is everything alright?" He asked, concern evident in his voice.
"No. It isn't. I want you to come here and show my parents how you're a better boyfriend than Yi Jeong sunbae," she said, making sure to say the words loud enough for the young man walking behind her to hear.
"Ga Eul?"
"Don't bother, Ji Hoo. You'll only get a migraine if you show up here and pretend to be this girl's boyfriend," Yi Jeong interrupted. Ga Eul threw him an icy glare, an equally icy one being sent her way too.
"Ji Hoo sunbae, you're best friend is acting like a jerk," Ga Eul said into the phone, stopping as her glare pierced Yi Jeong. He grabbed the phone from her hand and switched it to speaker.
"Yah, Ji Hoo, this girl's so unsophisticated and blames me for her own problems," Yi Jeong said into the phone.
"No I don't!" Ga Eul protested, shoving Yi Jeong's shoulder.
"Not to mention she gets physical and beats up people when they try to help her," Yi Jeong continued.
"Yah!" She yelled, her anger getting the best of her. She threw herself against him as her fists began to pound against his chest. He merely stumbled back from the force and then grabbed one of her wrists.
"She's a barbarian, Ji Hoo!" Yi Jeong yelled into the phone. Growling in frustration, he grabbed her wrists in both hands while he held her phone to his ear using his shoulder. Spinning them around, he pushed her against the nearest wall, pinning her arms to place.
"You two are acting like a couple having their first fight," Ji Hoo said. The words made both of them freeze and Ga Eul looked up into Yi Jeong's face, her face suddenly blank.
"Listen here, both of you. I'm not coming to Busan because judging with the way you two are behaving, I don't think you need any help in convincing your parents about anything. Ga Eul, Yi Jeong makes a better boyfriend than I do and Yi Jeong, treat her right, arasso?" Ji Hoo asked them. The two simply stared at each other doing expert jobs at keeping their faces bare of any emotion.
"Ne," Ga Eul replied, giving Yi Jeong a gentle shove as if to say 'Please let me go'. He stepped away from her and slipped her phone into his hands.
"Mianhaeyo, sunbae," she said. Yi Jeong looked at her and even Ga Eul herself didn't know who her apology was directed to.
"Don't worry about it. Just try not to fight like that in front of your family, Ga Eul," Ji Hoo said. Ga Eul played along with it, grabbing her phone and bidding a farewell to Ji Hoo. She put it back into her small bag and then looked at Yi Jeong.
"Ga Eul, I don't know how this is going to work if you're just going to blame me. So either you tell me how you want me to behave with your parents around or-."
"Just treat me like a girlfriend, sunbae," she said, her voice sounding worn.
"I did. You didn't like it," he responded.
"Treat me like how you did when we went on that fake date," she said to him and with the way his eyes suddenly unfocussed, she knew he was taking a stroll down memory lane. She was too.
It was with a deep sigh that she realized that Yi Jeong had indeed been treating her the same as he had that night. He'd treated her as if she was his world and even in front of her parents, he'd put her happiness above everything. She'd played this part before, then why was it so difficult to do the same a year later? It wasn't as if something had changed between them…
…had it?
Here is chapter number 2! I promise we'll see what's happening with the others next time. Don't forget to leave me a Review before you go!
